In a variety of industrial applications such as nuclear generating plants and oil refineries, liquid and gaseous materials must be transported throughout the installation. Typically, large networks of conduits or pipes are provided for channeling materials to different parts of the installation. Consequently, during construction, substantial amounts of time and money are expended to erect a system of pipes and complementary pipe supports necessary to enable the plant to function.
In industries such as nuclear power generation, federal and authorized governing agencies set forth regulations that are stringent with regard to design criteria, erection and inspection of weld joints. Thus, in a typical construction sequence, a plant is designed to include the location and arrangement of the network of pipes and pipe supports. These designs can then be reviewed by regulators for approval. Once approval has been granted, the plant is built and the network of pipes and pipe supports are installed. Usually segments of pipe supports are measured, cut to size and custom fitted. The erection of the pipe system includes the welding of supporting members between the walls and the pipes. The use of welding as a connection means is selected because it provides a high degree of stability and limits the shifting of the pipes relative to the wall structures. These criteris are of particular importance in the design of nuclear power generators wherein lines must be totally restrained from dynamic and thermal loads and further protected from damage due to, for example, earthquakes.
The prior art system of construction, however, has various shortcomings. Primarily, the erection and joint preparation necessary for welding of pipe support members directly to pipes is time consuming and expensive. Further, every weld joint to a pipe in a nuclear plant is subjected to rigid standard of joint qualifications along with intense federal and governing authority scrutiny, and therefore requires various highly technical personnel in documentation for qualifying said welds, for joint preparation, as well as the requirement for appropriately qualified welders. Further monitored is effected by authorized regulatory inspectors, in conjunction with stringent quality control and assurances. Another problem associated with prior art construction techniques is that frequently, as a result of modified criteria and inspections, various alterations and modifications are required to be made to the pipe support system. Therefore, the welded pipe support must be modified or taken down, and additional or new support members installed, as prescribed by the change specifications. As can be appreciated, the breakdown and rewelding of pipe supports adds significant expense to the construction cost. Furthermore, there is the possibility of damage to the pipe upon removal of members along with the repeated heating of pipes which occurs during a welding operation, and which could reduce the structural integrity of the pipes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved pipe support system for securing pipes to a structural element such as a wall to prevent the movement of the pipes relative to the structural element.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved pipe support system including cooperating, interlocked engaging means which prevents pipes from shifting axially, radially, and all directions relative to a structural element such as a wall.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved pipe support system which includes novel components which substantially reduce and eliminate the need of welding directly to pipes.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide an improved pipe support system which will eliminate the cumbersome documentation package required by governing authorities accompanying welds of a pipe support system.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved pipe support system eliminating those welds requiring intricate joint qualifications.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved pipe support system eliminating the monitoring and qualifying of said welds by authorized inspectors.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved pipe support system having novel components which can be initially erected using bolts such that initial installation can be readily carried out without welding.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved pipe support system wherein the structural integrity of the pipes are maintained since repeated welding is substantially eliminated.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved pipe support system which includes novel components that can be standardized such that custom fitting of the installation is unnecessary.